Department of Human Resources Development

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An Assessment of the Influence of Disability Legislation Awareness on Employability of Persons with Disabilities in Post-Secondary Institutions in Kirinyaga County, Kenya.
(2017) Njeru, Lucy Murugi
Globally, unemployment and underemployment of persons with disabilities is a major concern. A World Bank report shows that 20% of the world’s poor are persons with disabilities, 60% of them living in developing countries, such as Kenya. Lack of inclusion, and not disability, contributes to this poverty. Despite the existence of several disability legisla tions, unemployment of persons with disabilities still remains a challenge. The objective of the study was to establish the extent to which disability legislation awareness influences employability of persons with disabilities in Post-Secondary institutions in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The research used staff from five post-secondary institutions that were selected using proportionate stratified random sampling technique while five Human Resource Managers were selected using purposeful sampling. The study adopted descriptive research design. Questionnaires were used to collect data and Cronbach alpha coefficient employed to test reliability. Collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science. The assessment of the influence of disability legislation awareness on employability of persons with disabili ties was established through a multiple regression model. The study findings established that the organizations hardly conducted capacity building for staff on disability legislation, there was little or nonexistence of disability policies in the institutions. Moreover, respondents were unaware of how to handle persons with disabilities at workplace. The study concluded that legislation awareness influences employability of persons with disabilities positively because it assists employers develop compliance toward disability inclusion in workplace
Combined influence of choice of media channel, timing of media messages, and frequency of media messages on perception of wildlife conservation discourse in Kenya
(Karatina University, 2022-04) JINARO, PAUL MBURU; MACHARIA, JULIET WAMBUI; MBURU, PAUL KIUMBE
Audience perception of wildlife conservation discourse in Kenya has been negative as evidenced in results of conservation efforts. The purpose of this study was to interrogate the combined influence of choice of media channel, timing of media messages, and frequency of media messages on perception of wildlife conservation discourse in Kenya. The study employed convergent parallel mixed methods design. Population comprised of three groups namely; media practitioners; residents living next to national parks in four out of eight conservation areas in Kenya; and park managers in the four national parks. A questionnaire was administered to 83 human-wildlife conflict resolution committee members. Questionnaire generated quantitative data while qualitative data was generated from interviews with six media practitioners, 12 park managers and Focus Group Discussions with four groups of human wildlife conflict resolution committee officials. The study applied qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques. Results indicated choice of media, frequency of messages, and timing of media messages when combined have a significant influence on audience perception of wildlife conservation discourse in Kenya. However, the targeted communities expressed concerns that media tended to prioritize reporting on wildlife and often ignored the plight of people. The study recommends media should also communicate the plight of communities.
Core Competencies and Resource Allocation in the Performance of Bottled Water Industry
(2021-04-10) Ichoroh, James; Kiambati, Kellen; Mbugua, Levi N.
Research question: This paper examines the influence of core competencies, resource allocation and water sector standards on the performance of firms in the bottled water industry. Motivation: For firms in the bottled water industry to remain afloat, their performance against their targets needs to be assessed (Murugesan et al., 2016). Examining trends over time is essential since stakeholders and investors are concerned with enhanced performance. This study conceptualizes that the performance of firms dealing with bottled water are influenced by core competencies (Hirindu, 2017), resource allocation (Catherine & Lee, 2017) and that there is an intervening effect of water sector standards. Idea: The idea behind this study is to model the relationship among core competencies, resource allocation and firm performance in the bottled water industry and also to examine the moderating effect of water sector standards in explaining firm performance (Ichoroh, 2021). Data: The study used quantitative cross-sectional survey design of which the population of interest comprised of 80 licensed bottled water manufacturing firms in Kenya. Open and closed ended questionnaires were administered to managers of bottled water firms. Data on demographic characteristics, firms core competencies, resource allocation and sector standards were collected. Tools: Factor Analysis was used to scale, classify, delineate patterns and enhance hypothesis testing, while structural equation modelling was applied to infer whether the survey items matched the measured constructs. Findings: The indicators of core competences had 57% variation on firm performance and increase in core competences by a factor of 0.804% led to improvement of firm performance by 1%. The indicators for resource allocation had 17% variation on firm performance and the marginal effect was 1.738%. The water sector standards intervening effect in the relationship between core competence and firm performance was found not to be significant but the intervening effect of water sector standards on resource allocation and firm performance was significant. Contribution: The study gives indicators of repositioning strategies in the bottled water industry and provides insights to the government on policy regulations and standards
The effect of a company’s innovation orientation culture on employee turnover among selected non-governmental organizations in Samburu
(2021) Lentawa, Julius; Gesimba, Paul; Gichuhi, David
This paper examines the effect of a company's innovation orientation culture on employee turnover among selected non-governmental organizations in Samburu, Kenya. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 78 NGOs operating in Samburu County for the analysis, the study population comprised 11 senior management teams, 14 technical teams and 78 junior staff in 24 selected and active NGOs in Samburu. The analysis gathered both qualitative and quantitative data. A structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data and an interview guide was used to collect qualitative data. Thematic data analysis was used to interpret qualitative data, which included common terms, phrases, themes, and patterns. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics which includes frequencies, means, and standard deviation. Findings Results showed that innovation orientation is positively correlated with employee turnover (r=0.375, P=0.01). This supports Chow et al’s (2001) study which revealed that innovation orientation as part of an organization's culture has a significant effect on employee turnover. This study also discovered that an innovation orientation culture embedded in an NGO's ideology will help to reduce turnover because workers feel valued when their work is recognized for creativity and innovation.
Effect of HIV/AIDS on Social Welfare of Elderly Caregivers in Igembe South Sub-County, Kenya
(International Journal of Science and Research, 2015) Maina, Justus Nderitu; Marete, Jane Gakii
The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of HIV/AIDS on social welfare of elderly caregivers in Igembe South SubCounty. Descriptive survey design was adopted where a purposively selected sample of 220 elderly caregivers were involved in the focus group discussions and key informants interviews. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data. The study established that lack of participation in social activities affected the elderly caregivers’ interpersonal relationships negatively and felt that they were treated unfairly by the community because of stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. The study recommended that stakeholders like NGOs, CBOs, Government and members of public need to develop and implement programmes that will assist elderly caregivers in prevention stigma and discrimination from the society, hence improve their social welfare.
The Effect of Quality of Service on Customers’ Loyalty to Financial Institutions: A Survey of Financial Institutions in Nyahururu Town, Kenya
(Journal of Marketing and Consumer Research, 2016) Makokha, Elizabeth N.; Njuguna, Mary Wairimu; Gichuhi, M.David
The financial institutions in Nyahururu have experienced a scenario in which customers shift loyalty to different institutions over time, a situation that has led to managers’ complaints on matters of customers’ retention. This study aimed at examining the factors that influence customer loyalty to financial institutions in Nyahururu town. The study objective was to examine the effect of quality of service on customers’ loyalty to financial institutions. The study was based on the Loyalty Business Model as advocated for by Strorback, Strandvik, & Gronroos, (1994) and customer loyalty theory by Reynolds (2015). Descriptive survey design was applied with a target a population of 28860 staff members and customers served by the 6 Micro-Finance institutions in Nyahururu, Kenya. A stratified sampling method was applied to obtain 384 staff members and customers from 6 Micro- finance institutions in Nyahururu Town. Primary data was collected through the use of questionnaires. The data collected was sorted and then coded before analysis. Data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. In descriptive data analysis, mean, standard deviation and percentages were used. The SPSS computer program was used to aid in analysis. Multiple linear regression and correlation model was also used to analyze data by establishing the interrelationships between independent and dependent variable. Implementing the recommendations from the study would be useful to financial institutions seeking to improve the customer loyalty. This research study has also contributed to the body of knowledge on the best practices of retaining customers within financial institutions.
Effect of team diversity on team cohesion in faith-based organizations: Acase of St. Martin catholic social apostolate in Nyahururu, Kenya
(2022) Wanjiku, Daniel Kabiru; Gichuhi, David; Mwaura, Peter
eam diversity management helps to improve the cohesion of a team and ultimately, organizational development is enhanced. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of team diversity management on team cohesion at St. Martin Catholic Social Apostolate, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population for the study was 115 employees at the St. Martin Catholic Social Apostolate in Kenya. Stratified and simple random sampling procedures were used to sample 92 employees. Data was collected using a questionnaire and the collected data was analyzed through the use of the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version 21. Descriptive statistical analysis involved the calculation of percentages and frequencies while inferential statistical analysis involved Pearson correlation in establishing the association of the variables under investigation. and Chi-square tests. Data was presented in the form of tables and charts. Qualitative data were analysed thematically and presented in the form of narratives. The study ensured that ethical considerations were adhered to. The study found a statistically significant relationship between team diversity management and team cohesion (p<0.05). The study concludes that each team member is held accountable for their activities and the decisions they make regarding the team and is included in team activities. The study recommends that the team leaders ensure that all team members are included in all team activities. This can be achieved through creating environments and opportunities that allow the team members to provide their opinions openly
Effectiveness of the Balanced Score Card in Implementation of Corporate Strategy: A case of a Kenyan Insurance Company.
(2016-08-01) Ombaka, Beatrice Elesani; Muindi, Florence; Machuki, Vincent N.
The Government of Kenya has made substantial investment in the public sector through creation of diverse corporations. However, most public sector firms have not shown the required levels of efficiency and effectiveness that would be required of them. This has necessitated diverse measures such as the Results Based Management System (RBMS) which was initiated by the Government of Kenya in 2005. This management system has been put in place to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery in public sector organizations. Therefore the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), like any other public sector organizations, is required to operate under the RBMS of which Performance Contracts (PC) are a key component. The application of the Balanced Score Card (BSC) in the strategy management process has been found to be a useful tool in the clarification of the vision and mission of organizations and the rallying of the organizational members towards its achievement. This study examined the role of the BSC as a strategic implementation tool to enhance efficiency at KEBS. The specific research objectives included the examination of financial perspective, customer perspective, internal business processes perspective, and learning and growth perspective of the BSC on the efficiency at KEBS. The theoretical underpinning of the study was open systems theory and the institutions’ theory. The study was based on the descriptive research design with the target population of 150 management staff at KEBS. The sample size is 109 respondents. The study out the following; that there was a significant relationship between financial perspective of the balanced scorecard and organizational efficiency at KEBS. This was attributed to the availability and sufficiency of resources at both the organizational and departmental levels for KEBS to execute its mandates at those levels on time, and in the required scope hence improving on the organizational efficiency. Secondly, there was a significant relationship between the customer perspective aspect of the BSC and organizational efficiency at KEBS. The customer perspective was important to the organizational efficiency at KEBS through reduction of turnaround timelines in service delivery. There was also a significant relationship between the internal business process perspective of the BSC and organizational efficiency at KEBS. This was attributed to the internal business processes ability to influence customer satisfaction. Lastly, there was a significant and positive relationship between learning and growth perspective aspect of the BSC and organizational efficiency at the organization. This significance was attributed to the ability of KEBS to benchmark and learn on best practices on diverse aspects of its mandates. The study recommends that KEBS should focus on the learning and growth perspective of the balanced scorecard as it had the greatest influence on its organizational efficiency. The study suggests further studies on the examination on other financial perspective metrics of the balanced scorecard and the ways in which it can help in organizational efficiency at KEBS.
The Effects of Destination Marketing on Tourism Performance in West Pokot County
(Rift Valley Technical Training Institute, 2020) Tulel, Cherop Patricia; Ombaka, Beatrice; Kariuki, Ann
Tourism is an ever-growing service industry with great development potential. It has become one of the most important drivers of socio-economic development worldwide and has attracted interest for research. Many nations rely on tourism industry as a key source for foreign exchange, private sector growth, infrastructure development, and poverty alleviation in terms of employment opportunities and improvement of the welfare of the people in tourist destinations. According to United Nation World Tourism Organization, development agencies and policymakers are increasingly advocating tourism as an effective way to reduce poverty in least-developed countries. However, lack of proper marketing strategies is a challenge in many county governments, posing further challenge in tourism performance. The general objective of the study was to assess the effect of destination marketing on tourism performance in West Pokot County. Specifically, the study sought to establish the influence of awareness creation, developing new markets, advertising and branding on tourism performance in west Pokot County. To achieve these objectives, descriptive research design was used. Target population consisted of employees of hotels, officials of tour firms and officers in the ministry of tourism in the County Government of West Pokot. Purposive sampling technique was used and a total of 41 respondents selected. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that 41.8 % of the changes in tourism performance in West Pokot County was attributed to destination marketing. The P- value was 0.000 indicating that destination marketing had a significant influence on tourism performance of west Pokot County. The study recommends that destination marketing should be promoted by all the stakeholders involved and the funds allocated to destination marketing should be increased. This will promote the performance of tourism since destination marketing increases awareness among domestic and foreign tourists.
Emerging Trends Shaping Contemporary Business Strategy
(Prime Journals, 2012-09-18) Gakure, Roselyn; Keraro, Victor; Okari, Headmound; Kiambati, Kellen
This study constitutes a theoretical review of existing literature relevant to the subject. The study examines and briefly discusses salient issues in conventional business strategy formulation and execution. It identifies and lays significant emphasis on the key emerging trends that have shaped contemporary business strategy formulation and execution. The key trends identified and discussed are; the inclusion of the bottom of pyramid staff and lower level managers, role of technology, outsourcing, alliances, consolidations and networks, globalization, environmental impacts, emphasis on decisions rather than structures, work-life balance, culture, strategic architecture, facilities management, diversification and knowledge management.
Employee empowerment in service recovery and customer loyalty in the hospitality industry in Kenya
(2015-12) Wanjau, Kenneth Lawrence; Mung’atu, Joseph; Gichira, Robert; Wamuyu, Stephen Njuguna
Employee Engagement in Personal Health Programmes and Retirement Preparedness among Public Secondary School Teachers’ in Kirinyaga and Murang’a Counties, Kenya
(IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 2019-03) Gathiira, Titus G.; M.A., Stephen; Kilika, James M.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identified one health goal with over fifty health related targets applicable to all countries irrespective of development level. There is therefore indisputable need for retirement preparedness in terms of personal health programmes since a significant positive relationship exists between retirement planning and retirement satisfaction. Since employee separation planning generally overemphasize financial aspect disregarding the health aspects despite retirees’ health having great implications to individual’s in terms of fiscal and psychosocial well-being. In this regard, retirement being a process that require employees to generally focus planning decisions on the subjective life expectancy (a mental model of the number of years remaining before one dies) it is imperative to provide empirical data on the nexus between personal health programmes and retirement preparedness. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of employee engagement in personal health programmes and retirement preparedness among secondary school teachers Kirinyaga and Murang’a Counties, Kenya. The target population was 1,238 teachers aged 50 years and above and employed in public secondary schools by the Teachers Service Commission in Kirinyaga and Murang’a Counties by 2017. A representative sample of 334 respondents was selected using multistage sampling technique. Data was collected using semi structured questionnaire and interview guide. Logit regression was used to establish the relationships between variables in the study and to test the null hypotheses at P ≤ 0.05 and 95% confidence level. The study indicates that although the sampled pre-retiree teachers were not adequately prepared for retirement in terms of personal health programmes, their engagement in personal health programmes increased retirement preparedness since personal health programmes had a significant positive effect on retirement preparedness of the pre-retirees’ teachers. The reported findings extend the existing understanding of employee separation programmes and raises implications for the various theories that underpins individual employee separation decisions in HRM
Environmental Determinant of Choice of Sustainability Strategies Adopted by Group Ranches in Samburu County, Kenya
(International Journal of Current Business and Social Sciences, 2017) Omondi, Humphrey R.; Huho, Julius M.
An examination of Kenyan Government’s use of interpersonal communication in changing men’s behaviour response to prostate cancer screening
(Journal of Communication and Media Research, 2021-04) Ndung'u, Kahura; Macharia, Juliet; Kuria, Martin; Ombaka, Beatrice
Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of death among men in the world. Early screening is recommended as one of the prevention measures of the disease. Screening can be encouraged by Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) strategies (which includes participatory and interpersonal communication), advocacy and message framing. In Kenya, the Central Region is one of the leading regions in PCa prevalence rate. This study therefore examined the interpersonal communication strategies used in influencing men’s behavior response towards PCa screening by the Kenyan government. The study was guided by Theory of Reasoned Action. It was anchored on the Pragmatist philosophical paradigm and took a mixed method approach which involved both qualitative and quantitative designs where Survey and Focus Group Discussions were used to obtain data. A sample of 384 people was picked from an estimated population of 700,010 men aged 40 years and above from the region using simple random sampling. Findings showed that although health workers and communication officials appreciated the role of screening in containing the scourge, the two levels of Kenyan government (County and National) did not put in place sound interpersonal communication strategies for positive behavior response to the disease. It is therefore recommended that effective interpersonal communication strategies for behavior change be put in place and an annual budget allocated by the governments.
Exploring Resources and Performance Relationships in Commercial Enterprises: An Empirical Perspective
(2015-10-07) Beatrice E., Ombaka; Awino, Zachary Bolo; Machuki, Vincent N.; Wainaina, Gituro
Despite a growing body of literature on firm performance, explaining why firms in the same industry and markets differ in their performance remains a fundamental question within strategic management field. Researchers have attributed differences in firm performance to resources owned by a firm but the results remain fragmented and no consensus has yet emerged. Therefore, the debate is still open and this study sought to contribute to the debate and address extant gaps. This study investigated the influence of organizational resources on performance of insurance companies in Kenya. The study was based on a survey of 46 insurance companies in Kenya. The study reports that both tangible and intangible resources have a statistically significant influence on non-financial performance of insurance companies in Kenya. However, there were mixed findings as regards the individual influence of resources on various firm performance indicators. Intangible resources evidenced statistically not significant results individually but when combined, they had a statistically significant influence on non-financial performance. The reverse was true for tangible resources. Based on the findings, implications of the study and suggestions for further study are presented.
Exploring Resources and Performance Relationships in Commercial Enterprises: An Empirical Perspective
(2015-10-07) Ombaka, Beatrice Elesani; Awino, Zachary Bolo; Machuki, Vincent N.; Wainaina, Gituro
Despite a growing body of literature on firm performance, explaining why firms in the same industry and markets differ in their performance remains a fundamental question within strategic management field. Researchers have attributed differences in firm performance to resources owned by a firm but the results remain fragmented and no consensus has yet emerged. Therefore, the debate is still open and this study sought to contribute to the debate and address extant gaps. This study investigated the influence of organizational resources on performance of insurance companies in Kenya. The study was based on a survey of 46 insurance companies in Kenya. The study reports that both tangible and intangible resources have a statistically significant influence on non-financial performance of insurance companies in Kenya. However, there were mixed findings as regards the individual influence of resources on various firm performance indicators. Intangible resources evidenced statistically not significant results individually but when combined, they had a statistically significant influence on non-financial performance. The reverse was true for tangible resources. Based on the findings, implications of the study and suggestions for further study are presented.
Fiscal Asymmetric Decentralization Conundrum: Influence of County Cash Management on Household Effects in Kenyav
(2020) Munyua, Cyrus; Muchina, Stephen; Ombaka, Beatrice
This study aims at determining the influence of county cash management on household effects in Kenya. This is a qualitative research that has utilized both primary and secondary data from county governments and the National Treasury respectively. The sample has been developed from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics list of households in Kenya. The result indicates that effective cash management would enhance household welfare, leakages and lack of prioritization among others notwithstanding. The study concludes that there is need to enhance oversight of the treasury management across governments. The capacity of treasury managers should also be improved to secure fiscal discipline.
Human Resource Competence and Performance of CDF Projects: A Case Study of Langata Constituency, Nairobi County
(International Academic Journal of Human Resource and Business Administration, 2019-08-22) Chebet, Julius Chebii; Muraguri, Charity; Macharia, Stephen
Effective strategy implementation is paramount in the performanceof any company as it is vital in realisingits strategic goals. The critical success factors of strategy implementation include stakeholder involvement, technology, organization culture, financial and human resource allocation.Using a well thought out strategy, the CDF projects can leverage against implementation challenges and achieve high success of their targets.The study soughtto assess the influence of human resource competence on performance of CDF projects in Langata Constituency, Nairobi County.The study is underpinned on the agency theory and resource base theory. The target population wasthe 50 members of CDF committee in charge of projects in Langata Constituency.All the 50 members of CDF committee in charge of projects in Langata Constituency were involved as respondents in the study.The primary data wascollectedfrom the 50 CDF committee members through self-administered semi-structured questionnaires. The study also collected secondary data on project funding and completion rates from the office of the Auditor General. In analysing the characteristics and relationshipsbetween the study variables, descriptive and inferential statistics were applied using SPSS (Version 22). From the findings, human resource competence is fairly strongly and positively related to project performance at the 0.05 level of significance. The associated correlation coefficientis 0.61 and a P value of 0.000.The model explained56 percent of the variation in project performance. The recommendationis that the CDF along with the local Member of Parliament should give premium to human competence when planning project implementation programs. Thus the findings are largely consistent with existing literature although sensitivity of coefficients vary.
Importance of Ethics in Safeguarding and Ensuring High Quality Research
(2023-10) Ombaka, Beatrice; Muturi, Moses
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the important of ethics in safeguarding and ensuring high quality research. Ethics are norms or standards of behavior that guide moral choices about individual behavior and their relationship with others. Ethics has also been defined as norms of conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Research Ethics is defined as a code of guidelines on how to conduct scientific research in a morally acceptable way. The importance of Ethics in Research cannot be under estimated. Researchers world over face ethical dilemmas due to lack of adherence to ethical guidelines. Ethical lapses in research can significantly harm human and animal subjects, students, participants, researchers, institutions and the public. For example, a researcher who fabricates data in a clinical trial may harm or even kill patients. Responsible conduct of research is therefore important for safety of all involved in carrying out research. Further, prohibitions against fabricating, falsifying, or misrepresenting research data can promote the truth and minimize error. There is need for Research integrity in areas of falsification, fabrication and plagiarism. The goal of ethics in research is to ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse consequences from research activities. Researchers have carried out studies on importance of ethics in research. This is a desk top research study to sensitize researchers on the important of upholding high ethical standards when carrying out research. The study recommends that in order to ensure accuracy of scientific knowledge, ethics should be followed rigorously. The study recommends the need to sensitize researchers on the benefits of ethical research and that every researcher should be aware of the ethical considerations that need to be taken into account while undertaking research.
Importance of Ethics in Safeguarding and Ensuring High Quality Research.
(2023-10) Ombaka, Beatrice; Muturi, Moses
Abstract The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the important of ethics in safeguarding and ensuring high quality research. Ethics are norms or standards of behavior that guide moral choices about individual behavior and their relationship with others. Ethics has also been defined as norms of conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Research Ethics is defined as a code of guidelines on how to conduct scientific research in a morally acceptable way. The importance of Ethics in Research cannot be under estimated. Researchers world over face ethical dilemmas due to lack of adherence to ethical guidelines. Ethical lapses in research can significantly harm human and animal subjects, students, participants, researchers, institutions and the public. For example, a researcher who fabricates data in a clinical trial may harm or even kill patients. Responsible conduct of research is therefore important for safety of all involved in carrying out research. Further, prohibitions against fabricating, falsifying, or misrepresenting research data can promote the truth and minimize error. There is need for Research integrity in areas of falsification, fabrication and plagiarism. The goal of ethics in research is to ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse consequences from research activities. Researchers have carried out studies on importance of ethics in research. This is a desk top research study to sensitize researchers on the important of upholding high ethical standards when carrying out research. The study recommends that in order to ensure accuracy of scientific knowledge, ethics should be followed rigorously. The study recommends the need to sensitize researchers on the benefits of ethical research and that every researcher should be aware of the ethical considerations that need to be taken into account while undertaking research.